Railroad-crossing



(No Model.)

" A. G. McMEEKIN.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

No. 568,541. Patented Sept. 29, 1896.-

I I 79 F1 1 I B l UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,541, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed October 18, 1895. Serial No. 566,094. (No model.)

T aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that LANDREW G. MC-MEEKIN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-crossings, and has for its object to provide a means for reducing the open space in rails at the point where they cross each other in railroad-crossings.

In the usual forms of railroad-crossings there is a gap in the rails at the crossing and the width of this gap is equal to the thickness of the flange on the car-wheels plus the neoessary clearance. This makes a considerable break in the track-line and the effect of this break is to let the wheels drop down slightly on one edge of the break and strike the other edge, and this results in the breaking up of the crossing, is detrimental to the rollingstock,and causes discomfort to the passengers. Now it is obvious that if the gap in the rail be diminished these disadvantages are correspondingly reduced.

In my improved railroad-crossing at each point where each of the rails intersects another rail enough space is left to allow for the placing of a supporting-piece, preferably of metal and triangular in shape. This piece partly or wholly bridges across the gap in the rail, thereby reducing the gap, and is free to rotate, so that it can take its proper position for cars passing on either of the tracks which cross each'other.

In the example of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of two rails crossing each other, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the line 1 2. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the railroadcrossing.

Referring to the drawings by letter, a or represent the rails of the track, and h represents the supporting-piece. The rails arev of any ordinary construction, but I prefer that their intersecting ends be out with a concave face, as shown in the drawings, although this is not a material feature. The supportingpiece Z) is preferably a triangular piece of metal or other suitable material, supported in any convenient manner at the point of intersection of the rails, the piece being free to rotate. The supporting-piece Z) is of such size and is so located that one edge of the triangle will eXtend across the whole or a part of the distance between the opposite ends of the same rail, as shown in Fig. 3. In the drawings I have shown a convenient mountin g for this supporting-piece, which mounting consists of a plate 0, bolted or otherwise secured to the under side of the rails, and a pin cl, threaded at each end, whereby one end may be screwed into the piece I) and the other end engaged by a nut c after the pin has been passed loosely through the plate; but it is obvious that instead of this construction almost any other well-known means may be used.

The operation of the device is as follows: When a car passes along the track, if the pieces 17 b are not in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 they will be rotated into this position by being struck by the flange of the car-wheels. V The wheel then passes over the intersection without jolting or jarring and without damage to the track or rolling-stock. If the next car be on the intersecting track, its wheels willin like manner strike the supporting-pieces with a glancing blow and rotate them into the position shown in dotted lines, thus allowing the car to pass over without jolt. The pieces I) b are always rotated into such position that they reduce the gap in the rails upon which the car is moving to a minimum. Instead of the supportingpieces being moved by the flanges of the carwheels they can be moved by hand, by the car through some external mechanism, or in any other suitable manner.

I do not confine myself to the precise c011- struction shown for supporting the piece I), for I believe that any other means of supporting piece 5 and leaving it free to rotate, as set forth herein, to be new and within the spirit and scope of my invention, nor do I limit myself herein to the shape of the piece I), for obviously it may be of various shapes, although that of an equilateral triangle is preferred by me.

that I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a railroad-crossing, triangular supporting-pieces placed at the intersection of the tracks to partly or wholly bridge across the gaps in the rails, and adapted to be rotitted when struck by the car-wheels so as not to interfere with the passing of the cars, substantially as described.

2. In a railroaderossin g, supporting-pieces placed in the gaps at the intersection of the rails, the pieces being free to rotate and adapted to be moved into position by direct contact of the same with the wheels of the passing cars so as to partly bridge across the gaps in the rails, as set forth.

In a raih'oad-crossin g, supportin g-pieces, free to rotate and change in position, to

bridge across the gaps in the rails, the said pieces being operated by direct contact of the same with the car-wheels, for the purpose set forth.

&. The combination of tracks crossing each 20 other, and pivoted triangular pieces free to rotate and interposed or placed at the gaps in the rails, which pieces are rotated by the flange of the car-wheels, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 25 

